The cheat
by FemaleSpock
Summary: Rocket is a cheat. And cheats never prosper. Rocket/Tia, Rocket/Sinedd.


The cheat

**Disclaimer: I do not own Galactik football and I make no money from this fanfiction.**

**This fanfiction came about because I was trying to write the next chapter and was suddenly attacked by a plot bunny. I had to write it because it just wouldn't go away. I wasn't sure whether I was going to post this or not but then I decided I would because even though it's rubbish I could use the constructive criticism to make my writing better in future. I'm pretty sure that the characters (especially Rocket) are OOC. Anyway for the background info for this fic: it takes place after season 2 and Rocket has been having an affair with Sinedd for several months (I'm assuming that Netherball did change Rocket somehow and that's kind of why he acts quite differently in this fic).**

**Anyway, this fic is dedicated to Wildcard and GFSista, who write awesome Rocket/Sinedd fics (they made me like the pairing) and are generally really nice people. This fic was heavily inspired by GFSista's amazing fic 'Temptation', so if you haven't already done so, go read it!**

"Welcome, my fellow outcaste," he says bowing with fake politeness. His eyes are practically daring Rocket to disagree. Rocket takes the bait, "I'm not like you," he says and although it is the truth that he believes it feels like a lie to him. He fell into Sinedd's trap, both that smaller one, and the major one of coming here in the first place. He knows what Sinedd is up to and yet he can't stop himself. He sees the trap and yet he willingly walks into it.

He wonders whether Sinedd knows that. Sinedd acts like he knows all the answers, he's supposedly pulling Rocket's strings, but he isn't really. Rocket is doing all this of his own accord. It's easier to blame it all on Sinedd though. Easier on both of them. For Rocket it helps his guilt, thinking that it is all Sinedd's fault, it helps him face Tia everyday. For Sinedd he likes the feeling of power, that for once he is manipulating instead of being manipulated. He's always been the villain of the piece where the Snow Kids were concerned, he's never felt he deserved being cast into that role, he always felt like a victim. Now he's truly a villain and he's enjoying every second.

"No?" Sinedd asks mockingly "perhaps you aren't like me, perhaps you are me."

"What?" Rocket asks, knowing full well that Sinedd wanted to be asked that question.

"You are me. I am you."

"That's a nice theory Sinedd but..." he is cut off by Sinedd licking his ear.

"You didn't really come here to talk or engage in scholarly discussion, did you?"

It was a rhetorical question so Rocket didn't want to answer with words. They are in Sinedd's room, standing awkwardly in the door way, Rocket knew he could rectify the situation and answer the question all in one. So he pushed Sinedd down onto the bed closing the door with his foot.

He's on top of Sinedd for a second. Only a second because Sinedd flips him onto his back in a move more fitting to a wrestling ring than a bedroom. Now Sinedd is on top, they both prefer it that way.

A couple of hours later and Rocket is sneaking out of the room. There's really no reason to sneak. Sinedd's awake and watching him leave, on his face was his famous smirk, Rocket made sure that he looked sufficiently miserable when he left; it was part of the game Sinedd had to pretend to be triumphant whilst Rocket had to pretend he was guilty and ashamed. It soothed his conscience to think that way. It helped him forget that he didn't feel guilty enough about the whole thing.

He sneaks back to his room as usual. He doesn't get caught. The thrill isn't in getting caught it's in almost getting caught. And the next day he goes on a date with Tia like everything is fine. He supposes he could break up with Tia; after all he loves her. He can't give up Sinedd though; he needs Sinedd. Need will always trump love. What he has with Tia is nice, it's good, and it's non essential. They don't need each other; she'd be fine without him although she would feel sad. With Sinedd it's symbiotic, or at least mutually parasitic. With Sinedd there are no conversations about love. No conversations about the future, about marriage, with Sinedd everything is static. They'll continue in the same way they always have, no chance of it stopping, no chance of it progressing. It's permanent.

Tia thinks he belongs to her. She's wrong. He almost belongs to Sinedd but not quite. He has the Snow Kids (Tia) and he also has Sinedd. So really he doesn't belong to either. He's free; his options are open and he doesn't want to close off either one. He's selfish; he knows this, he's not the Captain now, he only has to think about himself. He only wants to think about himself. And Sinedd. Maybe they are the same person after all. If so then technically what he's doing can't be counted as cheating. It's just becoming whole; embracing all parts of himself. Then again it's not like he's adverse to the idea of cheating, it makes him feel smart, like he's found a way to outwit the system of monogamy.

He doesn't go back to Sinedd tonight. He's spending tonight with Tia, he's a good boyfriend to her, Sinedd doesn't change that. They're sitting on the bed in his room and of course Netherball came up again, it always comes up, she always wants to talk about it. She's always trying to get him to 'open up' about it, she always insists the he was never the same after Netherball despite the fact she had saved him from it. He knows she wants things to be as they used to be; but their relationship was never a stationary one. This was one aspect of Sinedd he liked; Sinedd never wants to talk about Netherball, it was humiliating for him and so neither of them ever brings it up. He's not listening to what Tia's saying. It's a mistake.

"Rocket, are you listening?" she says angrily.

"Yes, of course," he lies unconvincingly.

"What was I saying?" her hands are on her hips, she looks doesn't look fooled by Rocket's lie.

"Netherball, how it changed me." Rocket guessed.

"That was only the start of the conversation Rocket, you weren't listening at all!"

"It's not a conversation if only one person is talking," he says resentfully.

"Well it would have been a conversation if someone had been listening!"

"Well how about you listen, Tia? I don't want to hear your nagging about Netherball anymore. It's over. Done. Finished. We don't have to talk about it all the time," Rocket's patience was beginning to snap.

"So maybe it wasn't the sphere. Maybe I'm grasping at straws to try and understand why my boyfriend is acting so strange and disinterested all the time!"

"I'm not acting strangely!" he objected loudly.

"Really? When I'm talking to you, no matter what the subject, you don't listen to what I'm saying! I try and talk about the future and you go all vague and change the subject. Not to mention we barely spend any time together; you are always going off all secretively. If I didn't know better I'd say you were back into playing Netherball secretly at night."

"I am not playing Netherball," ("just cheating on you" he said silently in his head) "I'm not interested in Netherball, I have you and the team back now."

"Well you don't seem to be interested in me anymore."

"Tia! I love you! You know that."

"Sorry Rocket, but I just don't believe you," she starts to cry, but then she steels herself for what she is about to do and straightens "I don't think…I don't think that we should continue this relationship. I can't believe I'm saying this!"

"What? You can't just dump me! After all we've been through!" Rocket hadn't expected this; after all he had played the role of dutiful boyfriend, what did she expect from him?

"I didn't want to do this," she says almost hysterically sobbing "I just feel it's for the best."

"But-" he tries to say but she interrupts him by saying "I'm sorry" again and running out of his room, presumably back to her room to tell Mei all about it.

So now it's over between them. Done. Finished.

She didn't even find out about Sinedd. He's not sure what he feels. Angry, lost, confused, heartbroken (maybe). It's what he's supposed to feel; he wonders whether he's actually feeling it or whether he's just tricking himself. Mostly he feels numb; he doesn't know what to do to get Tia back, he doesn't know if he really wants to try. He decides to go to Sinedd's; at least he still had him.

Sinedd opens the door to find Rocket standing there; he isn't pleased to see him. After all they hadn't made an arrangement. Besides this wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to call Rocket and manipulate him into coming. Rocket wasn't supposed to want to come.

"What do you want?" he asked irritably.

"Can I come in?" Rocket asked equally irritably.

Sinedd opens the door wider so Rocket can step through. He does and they both sit on the bed. In a similar way to the way he had been sitting with Tia in his room earlier.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Tia," Sinedd observes.

"Well I'm not," Rocket said bluntly, he's holding back tears, but he would never want to cry in front of Sinedd. It would give Sinedd too much pleasure.

"And why not?" Sinedd wasn't an idiot. He knew Rocket was upset. He was pretty sure that something had happened between Rocket and Tia. But he enjoyed making Rocket say it.

"We broke up; it's not really your business though is it?"

"Everything you do is my business. Besides I don't think you're telling me the truth. I don't think the two of you mutually decided to break up. I think she dumped you!"

"So what if she did?" Rocket was getting angry with Sinedd, despite the fact that sympathy wasn't in Sinedd's nature, for some reason he had expected some from him.

"So I was right."

"It doesn't matter. Anyway as usual I didn't come here to talk."

"Wait. You can't just demand access to my body any time you like. I don't belong to you. I'm not your boyfriend. I'm not sure I want Tia's cast offs either," Sinedd grinned evilly knowing that Rocket had just assumed he could just use him to forget all his troubles, well he was wrong.

"Come on Sinedd, you can't do this to me," Rocket whined, feeling like Tia and Sinedd were in some sort of conspiracy against him, despite the fact he was unjustified in thinking so.

"I can and I am. It's over Rocket. You can go now," Sinedd said callously, he wasn't about to let Rocket use him. Now that Rocket and Tia had broken up he wouldn't be able to manipulate Rocket into guilt. Besides this was better revenge; to abandon him just when he really needed Sinedd. The revenge was for the ankle, the fact that what Sinedd was doing to Rocket what had been done to him so many times was just a bonus.

"No! Sinedd! You can't!"

"You've said that already," he said, waiting for Rocket to leave, when Rocket didn't he picked up the phone and typed in the number for security "Rocket, if you don't leave then I'm calling security."

"What? And how would you explain my presence here?"

"Oh, I'd tell them all about our little encounters, it'd be on the news and everything. I'm sure your girlfriend, sorry, ex-girlfriend wouldn't be very happy to hear about it. Besides I don't have a reputation to spoil unlike a certain Snow Kid…" he smirked knowing that Rocket had no choice but to leave.

He did. No more arguments from him. So now his arrangement with Sinedd was over. Done. Finished. There seemed to be a lot of that going around that day.

He couldn't believe this was happening, he lost the girl he loved and the boy he needed all on the same day! He was free now he supposed. Free from Tia and Sinedd. Freedom was overrated. In the midst of his self pity the thought that it may have all been his own fault was dimly floating in the back of his mind. All the guilt, the feelings that Rocket had been suppressing seemed to hit him now. It was overwhelming. He wondered how he had ever thought that he was going to live a double life forever with no consequences. He didn't know what to do now. He just kept remembering a saying that his father had taught him when he was younger "cheats never prosper." He understood that now. But it was too late.

**The end. Please review, I would really love some constructive criticism.**


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